The news was swift and stunning.
Cameron Robock, the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate in the Estevan constituency for the upcoming provincial election, had been ousted because of comments previously made on social media.
Two NDP candidates –Mark Jeworski in Weyburn-Big Muddy and Clayton Wilson in Saskatoon-Northwest – already bowed out of the election for galling comments they had made on social media.
Wilson should have been ousted once it was learned that he repeatedly used the expression “stupid farmers” a few years ago. If you want to commit political suicide in Saskatchewan, then saying “stupid farmers” is a quick and easy way.
Even though he was running in an urban riding, no party in this province should want to be associated a candidate who repeatedly uses the phrase “stupid farmers.”
When it was learned that Wilson made some unfortunate remarks about women, his fate was sealed.
Jeworski made the worst statement of all when he said Premier Brad Wall’s mother should have taken an abortion pill.
After these incidents, the NDP set about checking the backgrounds other candidates, and Robock apparently set off red flags.
All of this should serve as a cautionary tale and a warning to those in politics, and to the general public, about the realities of social media.
You might think a funny and flippant remark will only be seen by friends and followers, but that’s not the case. And if it crosses a line, then not only will it reflect poorly on you, but it will reflect poorly on your employer or the organization you represent.
And while you might not realize it, your social media comments could affect your job prospects. Any employer or manager with an ounce of common sense will check the social media accounts of applicants, looking for those whose posts might reflect someone they don’t want to employ.
The revelations involving Jeworski and Wilson are part of the “gotcha politics” game being employed by the Sask. Party. It won’t be popular with some people. But it’s also incumbent on political parties to do extensive research on their candidates. It’s best to find out before a campaign (or even before a nomination) that a candidate might have opinions that can be used against a party.
And all parties play “gotcha politics” now. A party that doesn’t diligently sift through the social media accounts of its opposing candidates isn’t doing its necessary homework.
As for Robock, some eyebrows were raised when he was named the local NDP candidate for the provincial election. While he had some name recognition from his bids for Estevan city council, he was never elected to council.
Compare that with Sask. Party candidate Lori Carr, who has been elected to city council three times. The person she defeated to get the Sask. Party nod, Roy Ludwig, is Estevan’s mayor and has never been beaten in a civic election.
At the same time, nobody could question Robock’s work ethic or commitment to the campaign. He was nominated 13 months ago, and enjoyed a head start that previous NDP candidates haven’t had.
Robock has worked tirelessly in the last year to get his name out there. He has attended community events, he booked a booth for the Estevan Showcase Business Expo and he met with people, often wearing his orange tie to reinforce which party he represented.
Even though he was an underdog in the election, he wasn’t taking defeat for granted.
It's good that he's running as an independent, but the campaign will obviously be tougher without the support of a party behind him.
Now he becomes part of a lesson to other candidates. Be careful what you say. You never know when, why, how or if it will be used against you.
